The present invention relates to corrugated pallets and in particular to the type of corrugated pallets which have been developed for the purpose of providing inexpensive and light weight pallets constructed of corrugated cardboard.
Pallets are of course widely utilized in all industries for the purpose of stacking and transporting various goods. It is well-known that in the past, pallets were formed of wood, in order to lend rigidity and strength to the pallet so that merchandise of great weight could be stacked and transported on the pallets. However, with the advent of conservation, and preservation of the natural resources, the use of woods for constructing pallets has been deemed to be undesirable, and even more important, it has now been determined by many countries in the world that wood is a nesting place for various types of bacteria and other undesirable germs, especially when the wood is wet or rotted. Just as importantly, it has been found in many countries that pest infestation has become a widespread problem, and it has been found that wood pallets have a tendency to introduce unwanted pests in different countries. Hence, in many countries of the world, wood pallets are not even permitted into the country unless they have been properly fumigated. This has caused a tremendous cost impact on those entities employing wood pallets for the purpose of shipping goods from place to place. The net result is that there has developed a strong tendency toward pallets constructed of alternate material.
In this connection, the art has gravitated to corrugated pallets which are made of corrugated paper and other materials which are relatively inexpensive, are capable of bearing weight, and are totally recyclable. Applicant has patented a certain pallet leg for a corrugated cardboard pallet under U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,136 which discloses and claims a corrugated pallet having leg elements which are installed onto the pallet deck, which yields a corrugated pallet having sufficient strength for virtually all applications in connection with the stacking and transport of goods placed thereon. Assignee's later U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,284 has further disclosed an improvement which relates to the cross-laminating of the cardboard pallet decks in order to further enhance the rigidity and strength of the subject pallet.
In both instances, the method of attaching the pallet leg to the pallet is by die cutting a plurality of finger members in a tangentially radiating manner in order to create a substantially spiral pattern with the fingers. The core legs are installed onto the pallet deck by twisting an inner leg in the direction of the spiral pattern of the finger elements, and nesting the inner leg within an outer leg having the fingers interposed in the annulus formed there between. Attachment is achieved by means of the use of an adhesive which is applied to the finger elements such that once the finger elements are nested within the annulus formed between the inner and outer leg elements, the cores forming the leg elements will become adhesively secured to the pallet deck via the finger elements.
It will be appreciated from the above description, that the method of attachment relates to the positioning of an adhesive such as a glue, on the outer as well as inner surfaces of the finger elements such that when the finger elements are interposed or nested within the annulus formed between the outer and inner leg elements, the finger elements will become adhesively secured on both surfaces to the respective core leg elements. It has been observed, however, that when the adhesive is applied in this manner, the adhesive merely spreads over the skin or surface of the outer surface and inner surface of the finger elements. Hence, the ability to secure the core legs to the deck is strictly a function of the securement which is achieved by the adhesive being interposed between the surface of the finger elements and the respective inner or outer leg element. While this has produced a pallet which has a high degree of strength and rigidity, and permits a great degree of weight to be stacked onto the pallet, and also provides a pallet having legs which are securely attached thereto, it has now been determined that the securement of the pallet legs to the pallet may be further enhanced by virtue of the present invention. Hence, the present invention is intended as a method of further enhancing the securement of the pallet legs to the pallet deck in order to further strengthen the pallet as a whole, and especially, to enhance the strength of the attachment or securement of the legs to the pallet deck. This feature has an impact since these pallets are utilized in connection with forklift vehicles which are employed for lifting and transporting the pallets from place to place. The use of such forklift vehicles is widespread and common knowledge, however, it is also known that the use of these types of vehicles, will often cause damage to the pallets where the tynes of the forklift strike the pallet legs when the operator attempts to position the forklift vehicle in a proper position to lift the pallet for transportation purposes. Hence, it is believed that the present invention, by providing a greater bond between the leg elements and the pallet deck, enhances the value of the pallet and further reduces the possibility of damage which occurs by the use of forklift vehicles.